Refrigeration apparatus



` yApril 2 1, 1942. `i c. 'suNDBAcH lREFRIGEMTION"MPPAM'JIUS V Filed sept; '7, 41958 Patented Apr. 2l, 1942 z-,zsaias narmcaaanon maures Carl Sluuibaclz, East WeymouthvMas's. Application september '1, 193s, serial-No. 228,859 4 claims. (ci. ca -12e) This invention relates to refrigeration apparaf tus, and has special reference to the construction and arrangement of the plates of a Isocalled plate freezer adapted primarily for use with a refrigerant capable of producing cold upon the direct expansion principle, and the freezer plates being included in what is known as a flooded system, under float-valve control.

In the use of refrigerantsoperating 'upon this principle, low pressures or partial vacuum will be established when the refrigerant, in the process of producing cold. changes from a liquid to a gaseous phase, and high pressures will Vresult when a rise in temperature takes place during a shut-down of the apparatus. In viewof these conditions, those plate freezers with which I am 1 familiar employ means other than the structure of the plates themselves for confining the refrigerant and preventing fracture of the plates and escape of the refrigerant to the atmosphere.

Inasmuch as the refrigerant most commonly` section of which is taken at rightlangles to that ofFls.3,and

Fig. 5. is a'fragmentary plan view showing a modification.

employed in apparatus operating upon this prin! ciple'is ammonia, which is noxious and toxic, it is important that it -be safely confined. There are, of course, other refrigerants'suitable for dif rect expansion, such as dichlorodifiuoroniethaney and methylene chloride, which, although Anot noxiousor toxic, must be safely confined.

The object of the invention is to provide a plate freezer, the plates of which are of relatively thin-walled construction for purposes of efil-v erant, and in so connecting these walls as to provide a. strong and rigid construction which will not fail in the presence ofthe high pressures prevailing. Furthermore, by constructing` the plates in themanner hereinafter' specifically set forth, I am enabled to provide for thorough and ready circulation of the refrigerant throughout the interior of the plates. v,

The plates may, as will hereinafter appear, be K mounted in tiers of as many unitsv as may be,

desired, and may accommodate between kthem the materials or articles to be bodying the invention.

of the plates.

Fig. 3 is anA enlargedse'ctionalA elevation of one i Fig' 4 iS an, enlarged sectionalelevetion'tiie frozen, and means Y for mechanically applying pressure to the tie'r of rigid spaced relation.

:2. outlet manifold I4 shaving similar flexible connections IB withthe' ciency in reducing loss of effect of the refrig- Referring particularly to Figs. 1 land 2, it will be seen that the plate freezer of the invention may comprise a `base I, above which is arranged the series or tier of freezer plates 2 guided upon columns 3 and normally spaced apart by springs l. The columns are fastened to the base I in suitable supports 6 and their upper ends are connected with a plate 6 by which they are held in The plate 8 carries a strengthening rib l, or is otherwise provided with a suitable bearing member 8 which carries a, pressure-applying Vscrew 8` the lower end offwhi'ch bears against the uppermost plate 2 of the tier, as indicated at III, and ,A the upper end of which may be provided with a hand wheel II, -or other suitable means4 whereby the screw 9 may be either manually or mechaniv cally rotated, as is usual, to apply pressure to the tier of plates and the articles Ato be frozen positioned between pressure.

An `inlet manifold I2 is arranged at one side of the freezer and has flexible tubular members or pipes I3 connecting it with the several plates At the opposite side of the freezer there is an them, and to release such several plates.

` l j-Itwillbe noted that the lowermost plate 2 of that the plates arranged mentioned) are 'vertically' 3. Thus. when pressure of --the screw 9v is released the plates will 'automatically separate under the influence of .the springsjlffso thatv the articles A, such as packages "of food products or other commodities,

l'may be ypositiialnecl between them or may be re- -f-fmoved after freezing. c

` Each'r.'oi.'theplates,v as illustrated particularly in Figs. 3v and 4, `comprises an-uppex-wall member .I6 and'. asimilar lower wall member Il of metal inlet and: outlet means,

of. appropriate thicknessv and physical characteristicsffthe transverse yedges of which abut against and :are preferably'welded, as lindicated at I8,to endmembers Ilwhich may-be rabbeted,

as shown, toireceive'them, and lwhich i'orm .the The longitudinal Aedges end edges-of the plates.

of the'wallmembers' Il and Il Vpass within tubular closure-.members :n sndjz'l, which lserve as f respectively. 'and'. are l propriate vertical alignement, or, as shown in Fig. 5, the guide means 25' may be arranged exteriorly of the plates at their corners.

The ends of the closure members 20 and 2l. where they embrace the abutting ends of the end members I9 may be filled in and thus closed, fluid tight, in any appropriate manner as by suitable filler blocks or by the welding metal indicated at 26.

Obviously, the thickness of the wall members IE and I1 of the freezer plates, and the strength of the stay bolt connections 23, 24 will depend upon the pressure normally to be confined.

It will be apparent that by employing freezer plates of the type of construction contemplated by my invention, the refrigerant upon entering the inlet closure member 20 will have an op- .I

portunity to reach every part of the interior of the plates rapidly and effectively and without encountering any tortuous passages or any means tending to block its ready circulation. As the refrigerant, for example ammonia, changes from 5.

its liquid to its gaseousphase it may readily escape from the plate through the closure member 2l. Theinlet and outlet closure members 20 and 2| being of relatively large size, and extending in unobstructed arrangement longitudinally of the edges of the plate. make possible rapid and effective distribution and collection, respectively, of the refrigerant in its two phases as it enters and leaves the plate.

Although the plates of the invention have been described as particularly adapted for use in plate freezers employing a refrigerant operating upon the direct expansion principle, itwlll be apparent that they may be employed to advantage in refrigerators or plate freezers employingl brine or other secondary refrigerants. When so used their efliciency will be enhanced by the presence of the closure members 20 and 2l and by the fact that, as in their use with refrigerants operating upon the direct expansion principle, there are no baliles or other members tending to obstruct free flow of the refrigerant throughout the plate interior.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a plate freezer, a freezer plate of relatively at hollow form, including an upper wall member and a lower wall member, end members provided with rabbets arranged in edge-abutting relation with and at opposite ends of said wall members and to which the wall members are connected in fluid tight manner, closure members connected fluid tight to opposite sides of said wall members and embracing the ends of said end members, and means disposed between said wall members at predetermined points throughout their area for maintaining the wall members in predetermined spaced relation.

2. In a plate freezer, a freezer plate. of relatively flat hollow form, including an upper wall member and a lower wall member, end members arranged in edge-abutting relation with and at opposite ends of said wall members and to which the wall members are connected in fluid tight manner, closure members embracing the side edges of said wall members andthe ends of said end members and connected iiuid tight thereto, and means disposed between said wall members at predetermined points throughout their area for maintaining the wall members in predetermined spaced relation.

3. In a plate freezer, a freezer plate of relatively flat hollow form, including an upper wall member and a lower wall member, end members provided with rabbets arranged in edge-abutting relation with and at opposite ends of said wall members and to which the wall members are connected in fluid tight manner, closure members embracing the side edges of said wall members and the ends of said end members and connected fluid tight thereto, means disposed bctwcen said wall members at predetermined points throughout their area for maintaining the wall members in predetermined spaced relation, said closure members provided with means for connecting the plate with refrigerant introduction and emission means. 

